Mayo hoteliers look to shape brighter futures
Mayo hoteliers attending the Irish Hotels Federation’s People Day 2025 Conference. Pictured left to right: Karen Brennan (Clew Bay Hotel); Ciarán Reidy (The Grace); Gemma Jordan (The Grace); Evi Murphy (Great National Hotel Ballina); Ciara Faherty, IHF Employee of the Year (Westport Hotel Group); Una Kilbane (Breaffy House Resort); Michael Magner, IHF National President; Deirdre Fitzsimons, Director of People Services IHF; Leonie Carter (Breaffy House Resort); Breda Walsh (McWilliam Park Hotel); Maria Kulukundis (Westport Estate); Lucy Griffin (Westport Estate) and Declan Heneghan, Chair IHF Mayo Branch. Picture: Joe Conroy
Some 300 hotel delegates including general managers, owners, and HR professionals from across Ireland, including representatives from Mayo gathered at the Midlands Park Hotel in Portlaoise this week for the fourth annual Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) People Day Conference.
Focusing on career development, people-empowerment, staff retention, leadership, inclusivity and more, the conference is part of the IHF’s programme supporting the continued development of attractive and rewarding workplaces for team members and future leaders to grow and thrive throughout their career within the hotels sector.
Hoteliers heard from a range of expert speakers as they explored developments in HR best practice and innovative strategies to support a thriving workplace culture. The speaker lineup included HR thought leader Lucy Adams, culture coach Stefan Wissenbach, occupational therapist and neurodiversity expert Dr Áine O'Dea, future work trends expert Peter Cosgrave and artificial intelligence advisor Mark Kelly. A full programme including speakers for the conference is available HERE.
Speaking at the event, IHF President Michael Magner emphasised the vital role that HR leaders within the sector play in promoting a culture that supports career development and that empowers people to excel in their profession.
“At the heart of every great hotel and guesthouse is our people – the many thousands of individuals who choose a career in our sector. And what an amazing profession we have with so many interesting people-centred career opportunities. We are right at the heart of our communities, employing over 69,000 people directly and supporting over 270,000 livelihoods within our wider tourism industry.
“As we can all attest, empowered and supported people make such a vital contribution to our sector. They are the defining characteristic of Irish hospitality – recognised the world over for our excellent service and our warm welcome, all of which is down to our amazing people. So, it is great to have an opportunity to look at how we, as individual businesses, can best accommodate, encourage and enable the many wonderful individuals who have chosen a career working with us,” said Mr Magner.
Commenting on the career opportunities in tourism, he added there was a wide range of exciting options suitable for individuals at any stage of their working lives.
"One remarkable aspect of pursuing a career in our sector is the unparalleled flexibility it provides. We understand the growing demand for greater flexibility over work hours, especially among those re-entering the workforce. Hotels and guesthouses are uniquely positioned to accommodate these needs.”
